


Mecto Amore

by skeletonflight



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - High School, Falling In Love, Friendship/Love, Multi, Revelations, Secrets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-13
Updated: 2014-06-13
Packaged: 2018-02-04 12:57:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1779901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skeletonflight/pseuds/skeletonflight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean and Sam Winchester know the routine well. Follow Dad on a hunt, move schools, stay for a few weeks and then blow town as if they never existed. Sam, of course, studied to keep his grades as good as he could with the high stress life. Dean, however, took it easy. He formed simple relationships with girls and dropped them without an ache in his conscience. You can't form attachments when they're going to be short lived, right?  Until he meets Castiel. They become best friends during Dean's stay at this normal school. Cas is, Dean admits, a little awkward. But there's something more to him and his strange family, and the Winchesters are adamant at finding out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Strange Face of Love

And so, it begins again.

Dean Winchester strode through the doors of the high school, making a beeline for the office that lay to the right. It was October 1st, and the Winchester brothers are starting their first day at a new school. This wasn't the first time that they had to transfer schools. It was a commonality for them; it was strange for them to not change schools after a few weeks. Today they were starting a new school for the umpteenth time, and the ritual hadn't changed. Registering was the same. Walking into the classroom, sending a sly grin in the direction of the stares was the same. Introductions from the teacher…The same. Of course, that one almost always ended with some sort of sarcastic comment (or inappropriate euphemism if the teacher was young and attractive) from Dean.

After retrieving his schedule and map of the school, Dean made his way for the first class of the day. School had already started; fifteen minutes into first period. This was Dean's favorite way of joining a class. Crashing into the middle of it and making a scene. This school had eight classes a day, so for Dean that meant eight opportunities to make an interesting first impression.

He finally reached his designated classroom. There were paper leaves and pumpkins plastered all over the rectangular window that reached up the door, blocking the view from the outside. Dean allowed his hand to rest on the handle, his thoughts drifting to Sam. Sammy had no problem doing well in his classes, even though he had the curriculum changed on him so often. It was the people he had issues with. After a few seconds of reassuring himself that nothing bad was going to happen to him, he twisted the knob and walked into the class room. The teacher stopped talking, looking at Dean over the top of his glasses.

"Uh, hi. Dean Winchester. I just transferred here," Dean spoke, sweeping his gaze across the classroom. There were about 20 students crammed together in pairs. The teacher – Mr. Shurley the board said – made a noise of recognition and stood up.

"Ah, yes! I remember them telling me I had a transfer. Come in, please. Shut the door. I'm Mr. Shurley, but you can just call me Chuck. Mr. is far too formal. Class, say hello to Dean…" He trailed off.

"Winchester."

"Winchester! Say hello to Dean Winchester." There was a collective "Hi Dean" from the majority of the students.

"Hi." Dean smiled, locking eyes with a pretty brunette at the front of the classroom. The girl smiled back and glanced down at the paper on her desk.

"Dean, welcome. There is a seat available right beside Castiel," Chuck pointed to the back of the classroom where a hunched over boy sat alone. He went and sat, catching the eyes of a few other girls on the way back. Setting his bag down, Dean sat and held a hand out to Castiel.

"Castiel, is it?" He nodded, shaking Dean's hand after a slight hesitation. "Dean."

"Hello, Dean." Castiel's voice was rough and quiet. The sheet in front of him had Castiel Novak written in hasty letters. As Chuck picked the lesson back up again Dean zoned out, making profiles of everyone around him. Castiel was wearing a suit. The tie was dark blue, the opposite of his eyes, which almost looked like ice. His dark hair was tousled and his lips were pursed. The whole look was topped off with a tan trench coat.

Strange… But who am I to judge. Dean thought. His entire wardrobe consisted of his Dad's old brown leather jacket and an array of plaid button ups thrown over a t-shirt. Fashion didn't really matter when there was a large chance of getting blood all over your clothes, but Dean wasn't about to go around looking like the homeless person that he was. The address on his school records was forged; his dad's Impala was his true home. Always has been, and always will be. The countless motel rooms meant nothing. The one they were staying at now wasn't that bad, 2 full beds and a pull out couch. The shower wasn't bad either, the water pressure was actually good for once.

The rest of the day carried on very routine. Castiel was in 3 more of his classes. The pretty brunette – Lisa, he learned – was in 4 others. He had to admit, the eye candy at this school satisfied him.

There were a few… Interesting characters, too. Some of them pushing down right bizarre, which was surprising. Usually Dean doesn't find such characters at a school, but he figured it was about time to find a few exciting people in a school setting.

At the end of the day, Dean waited by the curb for his father. Sam sat beside him, moping at a text book that lay in his lap.

"How'd it go?" Dean asked, looking at Sam expectantly.

"The exact same as every other time we've moved, Dean." Sam snapped, the tone of his voice ending the conversation. As their father pulled up to the curb, Dean rolled his eyes. Sam got like this every time they moved. Dean had gotten used to it fairly quickly; it was about time that Sam did, too.

Later that night, Dean sat on the pull out that he had claimed for himself, shoving a sandwich down his throat. Sam was working on something for school (he had homework already? What the hell) and their father was out working on the hunt. He would usually take Dean with him, not trusting Sam just yet to hunt with them. Today was only research, however. Plus, during the school year, they always tried to play it safe so that Dean didn't have any unexplained bruises or broken arms.

It was hard at first, moving around all the time, being worried that this night, this was the night that their father wasn't going to come home. Over time Dean developed nervous ticks when waiting for him to return. Looking out the window every five minutes. Jumping up every time the rev of an engine passed by. Reaching for the knife in the waistband of his jeans whenever there was a random scream. Dean was a nervous wreck inside, but you could never tell. He made a vow to himself years ago to be strong for Sammy, and showing weakness wasn't the way to do that. Dean was seventeen, pretty soon it would be time to him to be hunting on his own and showing Sam the ropes.

"How long do you think we'll be here?" Sam said, his voice quiet. Dean glanced up from his sandwich and swallowed.

"I don't know. Dad said we won't be here for long." They had no way of knowing. John Winchester never told his sons what he was hunting, why he was hunting it. It could be a vampire, demon, wendigo… Ever since their mother was killed by Yellow-Eyes, he went into a frenzy of hunting any supernatural being that he could find. Yellow-Eyes was dead, but that didn't stop him.

"He's said that before."

"Well, I don't know. You know how dad gets. He said it would only take a couple of weeks, that it was hardly even worth registering for school."

"The last time he said that, we were stuck at that school with those god-awful uniforms for three months."

"That's… You make a point." Blue slacks were not Dean's cup of tea. Sighing, he got up and plopped down beside Sam. "Listen, I know it's hard on you sometimes. I get that, I've been doing this transferring thing longer than you have. But… You just gotta man up. Bite the bullet, and in a few more years you won't have to do it anymore. All three of us can hunt together. It'll be fun!"

"Assuming dad survives that long."

"Sam!"

"What?"

"Don't say crap like that. Dad will be fine. We will be fine."

"You're a junior, Dean. I'm only thirteen. I still have forever until school is over." He slammed the book in front of him shut and got up. "And besides, what if I don't want to hunt when I grow up?"

"What are you talking about? Why wouldn't you want to hunt?" Sam just looked at him. Dean threw his hands up in exasperation.

"I'm done talking about it."

"Fine."

A few days laer, Sam and Dean had woken up to see their father face down on the bed. There were three brown bottles sitting empty on the bedside table. His shoes were splattered with mud and the snores that were coming from him were unearthly.

"God, he sounds like a freaking freight train." Dean mumbled around his toothbrush. Sam didn't reply. He must still be mad at me from last night. Whatever. He's just a little kid, he'll understand one day. "Well, I guess we're walking to school." With no driver's license of his own, both of the boys had to rely on their father to take them places, including school. Usually they tried renting a motel close to the school as this happened often, but they were out of luck this time. Two and a half miles wasn't far, but at this rate, they were going miss classes.

"Barely here for a week and we're already late. Awesome." Sam muttered as they began parting ways once they reached the school.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Have a good day!" He ran off, leaving Dean scowling at his retreating figure. Chuck just raised an eyebrow when Dean walked in and took his seat next to Castiel.

Dean liked Castiel. They got along, and it was nice having what felt like an actual friend for once. They had only known each other for a few days, but with all the classes they had together and the fact that Castiel was always sitting by himself gave Dean a good opportunity to get to know him. It was a shame they weren't going to be living here for long. Castiel was always so deadpan, Dean had made it his goal to make him laugh at least once before they moved.

"You are late." Castiel said softly, peering at him. Dean smirked. "Why is that?"

"Good observation, Sherlock. My, uh, my dad couldn't find his car keys this morning." He shrugged. Castiel thought about it for a moment before nodding and turning back to the lesson. Dean chuckled, earning a strangle look.

"What?"

"Nothing, Castiel, nothing. Listen, do you have a nick name or something I can call you? Castiel is a mouthful."

"I don't…"

"Cas! How about Cas? Cas is good, right?" Dean lightly clapped him on the shoulder.

"Cas is… Fine."

"Awesome."


	2. Bad Company

"Dean, why are you making me do this?" Castiel shouted over the loud whip of the wind and the thump of the classic rock. His shaggy hair fluttered from the air rushing in the window. Dean just turned and smiled, smiled that half grin that just barely flashed his teeth. It had been a few weeks since Dean had moved to town, and Castiel was grateful. He didn't have many friends at the school… If any. Dean treated him the same as everyone else, but the difference was Dean was genuine in his questions and curiosity. Everyone else just wanted something to gossip about him; the silent boy that no one knew a lick about. Dean seemed to truly want to know him, and the feeling of knowing that was… Strange. Castiel tried not to think too deep about it if he would help it, but the majority of the time the thoughts slipped through.

Right now, however, Castiel couldn't even hear himself think. He was perched tensely on the seat of Deans car. Well, his father's car. Castiel had asked why Dean didn't drive every day, but Dean said something something something his dad needed it for work. Castiel guessed he had the day off, as Dean was speeding down the road in it. The street was lit by the fading light of the day, and a cold chill had sunk through Castiel's clothes. Dean was dragging him to a party of some jock at school. Castiel wasn't sure Dean was even invited, but he had mentioned something about Lisa being there. Castiel had never even been to a real party before. He doubted that the rarely celebrated birthdays in his family counted.

He looked over at Dean, noting the way his elbow was sticking casually out of the open window. His shoulders were relaxed, of course. Dean was always relaxed. There wasn't one tense thing that Castiel had noted about him in the weeks that they have been friends. He was always joking, always laughing even when Castiel wasn't. It was very refreshing having such a positive person in his life. It wasn't like Castiel's family was mean or anything; their sense of humor was mostly nonexistent. Well, except for Gabriel.

"It'll be fun, Cas. Trust me," Dean called over the music. Castiel just squinted at him for a moment before turning his head away. He flinched as Dean swerved into the opposite lane to pass a car that was doing the speed limit.

"If we can get there alive." Castiel said breathlessly.

"What was that?" Castiel just shook his head. The house where the party was held was about thirty minutes from the school, but "I can get us here in fifteen," Dean had winked. Castiel had rolled his eyes, not believing a word he had said.

Oh, how he was wrong.

Sure enough, they pulled up to the house minutes later. Cars lined the street, and Castiel felt unnerved. The home was in the middle of the woods, but it must have been convenient. There were no neighbors to call in noise complaints.

Dean parked far enough away from the door to keep the car away from any drunken teenagers that stumbled outside. He rolled the window up and cut the engine, jumping out. Castiel paused for a moment before rushing out after him. Trying not to flinch against the cold that seemed to cut through his layers of clothes. Dean just stood there with his hands in his pockets, looking like the cold didn't bother him at all.

"You'll have a good time. I'll make sure of that." Dean said, gripping Castiel's shoulder and shaking it before pushing him forward.

"I won't know anyone there," He protested lamely. The wind disturbed the falling leaves on the trees, forcing a light rustle.

"You know me." Castiel gave him a look.

"Dean…"

"Hey, listen. Is it because they're kids from school?" No response. Castiel hated talking about how little he got along with everyone there. "Cas, don't worry about it. You'll be with me, you'll be fine." As the two boys got closer to the house, the music got louder, and Castiel could almost recognize the dong. Dean rapped harshly on the door with the side of his fist, hoping to be heard from the inside. Laughter penetrated through the walls momentarily. A few seconds passed and the door swung open. A skinny brunette girl stood there. Castiel had no idea who she was—she didn't go to their school.

"Who are you?" She said, directing it toward Dean. Castiel stared at the plastic cup in her hand.

"Friend of Lisa's." Dean smiled at her. "You?"

"Meg. This your date?" Meg turned toward Castiel.

"His name is Castiel. Wanna let us in?" Megs eyes lingered for a moment, watching as he shifted on his feet uncomfortably. Pulling the door open all the way, she looked back at Dean and grinned.

"Sure." Dean waltzed past her.

"Thank you…" Castiel murmured awkwardly as he passed Meg.

"Not a problem." She clicked her tongue and smiled up at him. Castiel watched as Dean's eyes scanned the room. It was packed full of people. Some of them Castiel recognized from school, some of them he didn't know at all. The music was even more deafening to his ears, and he almost couldn't hear the door slam shut behind them.

"Dean," He started. "I don't-" Something thin and blond stepped in front of Castiel, blocking his line of vision.

"Cassie?" Castiels face went slack, and Dean looked over.

"Balthazar?" He saw Deans eyes squint and give Balthazar a once over.

"Ah, Castiel, it's been ages!" Balthazar reached out and gripped him, giving him a tight squeeze. Meg raised her eyebrows.

"I just saw you last week," Castiel replied with a huff as Balthazar released him and stepped back He turned to Dean and spread his arms open, but Dean just stared.

"You must be Dean." He said, a wide grin splitting his face. Castiel shifted on his feet and scowled when Dean looked over at him.

"Yeah." Dean looked back at Balthazar. "And you are?

"My name's Balthazar, Cassie's estranged older brother." Dean's face seemed to relax. Castiel blinked. "He talks about you all the time. I have to say, you're much prettier than I imagined." Before Castiel was able to see his reaction to what Balthazar said, his brother carried on, a huge grin on his face. "Alas, I have to be off. I'll see you whenever I decide to crash Mum and Dad's again." He tipped an imaginary hat. "Dean." Leaving with a wink and a smile, he walked off, disappearing into the crowd.

Thirty minutes later, Dean was standing a few feet away, chatting with Lisa. A brown bottle dangled precariously between his fingers, but not once did it slip. He brought it to his lips and tilted it back. Castiel averted his gaze, turning back to Meg. She was smirking up at him. He frowned into the drink Dean had shoved in his hand, noting it was half empty. Not due to his drinking, though. Half of it had splattered on his shoes from being jostled around. His soles stuck to the floor, and he felt bad for whoever was going to have to clean it up once the party was over.

"You're not going to drink that?" Someone else bumped into him.

"No…I mean, I don't—" Castiel grimaced.

"Oh ho ho," Meg laughed. "You're completely out of your zone right now, aren't you?" She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Poor baby. Why don't we stow away, I'll show you a good time." At that he tugged on his collar, the tie already hanging a little loose around his neck, and looked everywhere but in Meg's general location. She made a noise- something between a scoff and a chortle. "Well, well, well. I never figured someone who showed up at a party like this with a guy like that—" Castiels eyes cut to Dean and the almost empty bottle and the way his hips leaned toward Lisa—and then back to Meg. "—Would be such a little angel. What do you do in your free time? Church?"

He has gotten really good at this "not responding" thing.

"Oh, my god." Meg chuckled, astonished.

"My parents are religious. They make me go. I don't really—it doesn't matter to me." Castiel interjected quickly. He didn't know why he was defending himself to this girl that he didn't even know. She was patronizing him, Castiel hated being patronized.

"Well in that case, let loose a little." She winked. He opened his mouth to respond when Dean appeared beside him, Lisa waiting back where they were talking. Her eyes were boring into the back of his head, and Dean was grinning like an idiot.

"Hey, Cas, listen. Lisa and I are gonna go practice our, uh, horizontal tango. Will you be okay here for a little while?" Castiel stared at him, slightly terrified.

"I'll be back before the party is over, I swear." He reached over and nudged at the cup with his own bottle. "Besides, looks like you're getting into the spirit. I'll see you in a few." He opened his mouth to protest, but Dean spun on his heel and walked back to Lisa, slinging his arm over her shoulders. They walked out the front door, stopping only briefly so Dean could turn his head and wink. Meg watched the whole thing go down with a silent smirk.

"You look like a little lost puppy without him."

"He's the only one that likes me here."

"I like you."

"You don't know me."

"Sure I do. Your name is Castiel. You're best friends with someone who has somehow managed to lay he hottest ticket in town.. I can't blame her, though. Dean is a sight to look at." Her lips twitched. "Is he new in town? I've never seen him before."

"He just moved here at the beginning of October. He told me his dad work moves him around and that he won't be here for long."

"Oh, what a shame." Meg jutted out her bottom lip in a pout. Someone else shoved into Castiel. Thankfully, at this point, his cup was too empty to spill on his shoes unless someone pushed him over. There was a moment of awkward silence. "You don't talk much, do you?"

"I don't have anything to say to you." He replied, peering over at the front door.

"Ouch. That hurts, Clarence." Castiel turned and gave her a strange look. She walked over to him, slipping a hand under his trench coat. "You look uncomfortable. Take a drink. Relax. I'm sure Dean would want you to."

"I need some fresh air." He said suddenly, spinning out of her grip. He stalked off, ignoring Meg calling his name, and shoved his cup into the chest of someone that walked past him. There was a swinging porch chair, thankfully unoccupied. He nabbed it. There was a couple making out right outside the tree line. Castiel squinted at the two forms, but the male's body type was too puffy to be Dean. He sighed and leaned back, crossing his arms against the chill. The toe of his alcohol soaked shoe pushed against the porch floor, swinging him back and forth.

It brought him back to a memory of when his mom would rock him in her arms late in the night if he had a nightmare. He still had them, but when Castiel was eleven he stopped coming into his parent's room crying because of imaginary terrors. He didn't want his brothers making fun of him for being a mama's boy anymore. He was the youngest of five. Gabriel and Castiel were the only ones still living at home. Lucifer was off, somewhere in Kentucky. Anna had gotten married and refuses contact with anyone in the family… Castiel missed Anna. She was the only one that seemed to understand Castiel's struggles in school. Luci, Gabe, and Balthazar all dropped out sometime in high school. Gabriel just sat around in his underwear with a plethora of candy wrappers around him, and Balthazar had disappeared to a couple foreign countries for a few years and returned with a strange accent. It was very dysfunctional… Anna so far has been the only Novak child to graduate high school, and Castiel was hell bent on following her footsteps.

Castiel didn't know how much time he wasted ignoring the people coming and going, ignoring the occasional sound of vomiting coming from the brushes. He was lost in thought, deep thoughts of his family. Meg never showed back up; she probably found another lost boy to prey on. Dean finally came back up the steps, no Lisa in sight. His fly was undone. He eyed Castiel sitting by himself and plopped in the seat beside him, causing the chair to shake.

"What're you doing out here by yourself?" Castiel shrugged and looked out at the road.

"Your fly is undone." He said, seeing Dean glance down at his crotch. He shot Castiel a look and zipped up.

"Thanks, Sherlock. Answer the question. You and Meg seemed to be getting along."

"You're not very observant, then."

"And you're a pain in my ass." Castiel continued staring. "Listen, my dad called. He needs the Impala, we gotta run. That fine with you?"

"I thought it was your dad's night off." Not that it was a problem, Castiel leaving the party. The music that came muffled from the walls was giving him a headache, and the smell of puked up alcohol was making him sick.

"Yeah, I thought so too." Something changed in Dean's voice, and Castiel looked over in surprise. Now Dean was staring away, a frown adorning his mouth. It only lasted a second before he glanced back over, his face brightening. "Anyway, let's hit the road, I don't want him to get pissed at me."

Dean left the window up on the way back, speeding down the road just as fast as he had on the way there. It was a silent trip back, save for the sound of the engine and Dean's humming. A little less than twenty minutes later, Dean pulled the Impala up the long drive way to the Novak home. It was a nice home. Two stories, the paint about as pure white as possible.

"Sorry about," Dean coughed. "Leaving you behind." Castiel just shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. You and Lisa… I hear her talking about you a lot." Dean grinned. "She likes you."

"Yeah." Dean sighed. "I'll see you Monday, Cas." Castiel turned so that he couldn't see his face drop and got out of the car.


	3. Sweet Emotion

Dean awoke with a start and a slight gasp, greeted by the dark of the motel room. The sheets were tangled around his legs, and the short lived nightmare started to fade from his memory. He groaned, rubbing his eyes. After kicking the sheets off of his legs he rolled over. A dim light glowed up from the alarm clock that lay on the bedside table. It read 3:12 a.m. Turning his head, he looked over at Sam. He lay safe and sound in the opposite bed, the sheets wrapped around him like a cocoon. Nothing but a mop of hair was visible. Their dad was a few towns over tracking down someone who might have knowledge on the hunt, which meant for once both of the boys got a bed.

He twisted himself upright, planting his feet on the rough carpet. It was cold in the room, and goose bumps rose along his arms.

I really ought to get us some pajamas for Christmas… Dean thought, looking down at his boxers. Fifty five degrees outside and they slept in nothing but a thin t-shirt and underwear.

Dean stood, stretching his arms over his head with a quiet groan. Waddling over to the bathroom, he stepped lightly, trying not to wake Sammy up.

"No need to wake Sam up just because you can't deal with being spooked by a few nightmares… " He muttered under his breath, shutting the bathroom door before he flicked the lights on. The only problem was, it wasn't just "a few nightmares". Dean had them at least four times a week, and those were only the good weeks. Lately they had been calming down, but every once and a while a bad one would hit. Like tonight. They always varied in intensity. Some nightmares were just memories his mind was reliving of a vampire or demon finding them to kill them as revenge against their father. Other times it would be a made up situation of Sam or their father being brutally slaughtered in front of Dean as he stood helplessly, unable to save them.

Dean splashed water on his face, chewing on the inside of his lip. Their father had wasted no time in taking the Impala and squealing out of the parking lot once Dean had made it back from the party, a small duffle bag thrown in the back seat. Dean had stood for a few minutes, glaring out the window as Sam made remarks on the stench of booze and sex that clung to his clothes. Dean had shot him a look. Sam just rolled his eyes, cracking open some science book for school.

"Three o'clock on a Monday morning," He sighed. "And I'm not asleep. What a strange, cruel world." Killing the lights, he slowly made is back out of the bathroom. After he made it back to his bed, he lay there for the next two hours, lost in thought, unable to sleep. Sam stirred eventually, lifting his head up off the pillow. Dean was pulling his jeans on, a toothbrush sticking out of his mouth.

"Dean? Why are you awake already?" Sam said groggily.

"It's a free country. I can wake up whenever I want to." Dean replied. Sam just blinked up at him. Once both of them were ready and the sun was decently raised, they began their trek to school. It had warmed up slightly, but Dean still kept the back of his jacket collar raised against the wind. His backpack strained against his shoulders. Sighing, he looked sideways at Sammy, at the heavy bag of his own hanging off his shoulders.

"How are you doing in school?" Dean began awkwardly, scratching the top of his eyebrow with his thumb. Dean himself was doing fine. Well, his definition of fine. Mostly B's and C's, the only A's he had were in classes that he had with Castiel. Partly from cheating off of him, partly from Castiel going out of his way to help Dean understand the subject.

"Fine, as usual." Sam replied, flipping his hair out of his eyes. "Ms. Hael is crazy, though."

"Who's Ms. Hael?"

"She's the history teacher. Nice lady and all, but she always goes on these long tangents of righting wrongs and Jesus and stuff like that." He kicked a rock across the sidewalk.

"Oh. Well if you can put up with her for a few more weeks you'll be fine." A car flew past them, ruffling their hair. They continued to talk, relaxing into an easy conversation. Every couple of minutes a car would race past them, and Sam would look over at it dejectedly. Dean didn't mind the walk to the school. It was just a few more minutes that he would get to spend with Sammy—And in Sammy's point of view, time without their father.

Sam's relationship with their father was… strained, to say the least. He hated the idea of their father hunting, and in turn hated the idea of Dean hunting. He never hesitated to voice his opinion about it, and boy did he have an opinion.

"Met any girls yet?" Dean reached over and nudged Sam with his elbow. A pink blush spread across his cheeks.

"Yeah, there's one. I like her a lot."

"Well? What's her name?"

"Jessica." He said, smiling. "She's super sweet. Smart, too. What about you? Have you met anyone?" Dean opened his mouth to mention Lisa when a shiny black car pulled up beside them, causing them to pause to see who it was. The window buzzed down, and Castiel stuck his head out.

"Dean? Do you need a ride?" He blinked at the two boys, glancing over at Sammy.

"Oh, sure. Thanks." Dean slid in first, Sammy after him. He made a double take seeing Balthazar—Castiel's weird older brother—driving.

"Why are you walking?" Castiel spoke, twisting in his seat to look at Dean. "Does your father not give you a ride?" Dean saw Sam bristle slightly out of the corner of his eye.

"He had to leave early this morning." Dean responded, shrugging.

"You have my number. If you need a ride, all you have to do is call." He said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. Balthazar was smiling slyly in the driver's seat, looking at Dean through the rearview mirror.

"It's nice to see you again, Dean."

"Yeah, same with you."

"Balthazar has decided to stay in town and take me to school," Castiel cut in just as Balthazar opened his mouth to speak again. "Which, I have to say, is a relief. Gabriel is wreckless when driving. Even more so than you, Dean."

Dean smirked and then glanced over at Sam, twisting his hands uncomfortably.

"Oh, ah. Balthazar. Cas. This is my little brother, Sam." Dean said, reaching over and shaking Sam's shoulder for a second. Balthazar nodded, and Castiel turned, reaching his hand out to him.

"It's nice to meet you." He said to Sam.

"You too." Minutes later they pulled up to the school. Dean followed Sam out, slamming the door behind him. Castiel paused for a moment, and Dean saw him frowning at Balthazar. A moment passed. He finally climbed out of the car, his cheeks pink with the slightest hint of a blush. Dean could hear Balthazar laughing before Castiel shut the door a little too hard. He didn't meet Dean's gaze. Balthazar pealed out of the school, and Sam and Dean stared at Castiel's retreating figure.

"What's wrong with him?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow. Dean gave a little shrug, adjusting the backpack hanging off his shoulders.

"Hell if I know. Balthazar probably said something to piss him off." Dean responded. "I'll see you after class." He started for the school, thankful that Castiel had decided to pause and wait by the doors for him. His arms were folded. Someone pushed past Dean, rushing into the building.

"You okay?" Dean asked him, knocking him in the arm lightly with his fist. Castiel looked up, pursing his lips. He seemed to ponder something for a moment before nodding his head.

"I am fine. Balthazar is a pain, that is all." He shoved himself off the wall, the tail end of his trench coat flapping slightly. Dean followed him into the school, watching Castiel's eyes drift from person to person. Since Dean had come and befriended him, Castiel once said, most people that usually gave him a hard time began leaving him alone. Some of them were actually striking up a conversation with him. Dean attributed it to the fact that surprisingly most of the people at the school were friendly with Dean, so it was rubbing off on Castiel. Dean was Castiel's best friend, albeit his only one.

Dean was glad that, even if temporarily, he was able to make Castiel's life a little easier.

"Yeah, he seems like a nice guy," Dean frowned.

"He does have good intentions," Castiel responded, missing the sarcastic tone in Dean's voice. "They just sometimes come off wrong." Dean's mind flashed back to a time when he had tried helping his father with a case when he was much younger. Of course, he had screwed it all up. And, of course, his father got mad and yelled at him, but no one was seriously hurt.

No one important, anyway.

"I know how that feels." Dean said, rolling his shoulders back.

"Hey Dean, hey Castiel!" A girl smiled at the two of them. Dean couldn't remember her name even though she shared a class with the both of them. Castiel looked at her, startled for a moment, before nodding in response. Dean gave her a little two fingered salute.

They reached Castiel's locker, and Dean watched him as he began pushing books roughly in and out of his backpack, transferring things over.

"The other day you said he wasn't living with you anymore." Dean wondered out loud.

"Who?" Castiel glanced up at him.

"Balthazar. You said he didn't live with you anymore. He was 'estranged'."

"Ah, yes. He moved away from our family when he was sixteen. He still talks to our parents, however. That's a plus. Anna and Balthazar never have anything kind to say."

"Why not?" Dean leaned against the locker beside Castiel's, peering at him. Cas was usually very reluctant to talk about his home life, so Dean jumped at every chance he had to learn a bit more about him.

"Our parents kicked Lucifer out, accusing him of a whole world full of irrelevant nonsense. Anna got angry because they hid that she was adopted from another family until she was almost eighteen. Gabriel and I are the only ones still there, but Gabriel is one prank away from being kicked out too."

"So you're the star child, huh?"

"I suppose so."

"No offense, really, but your parent's gave you all really strange names."

"We were all named after angels. They are extremely religious. That is why I wear this all the time," He dropped his bag to the floor and pulled open his coat, showing more of the dark suit he wore under it. "They expect us to dress as if at any time, God will come down and choose us for his own. I'm the only one who wears the suits, though." He frowned. Dean reached over, pulling Castiel's twisted blue tie straight.

"Well, if you're going to wear it, you might as well wear it correctly." Castiel watched him as he pushed the knot tighter. His eyes flickered down and back up. Dean finished, pulling away.

"Better?" Castiel asked. His brow furrowed.

"Better. Still weird. But better." Castiel shrugged and pushed the locker closed, swinging his backpack back onto his shoulders. "It's strange that your parent's think that about God."

"Do you not believe?" A slight ting of surprise sounded in Castiel's voice.

"I have no doubt that something will come. Whether it is God or not, that's debatable." Dean never really had faith. His dad didn't either, but Sammy, of course, held a belief. Castiel made a little noise in the back of his throat.

"We will all know in due time, Dean."

"I suppose so."

"How are you and Lisa?" Castiel asked suddenly, his voice a little more deadpan than usual. "Are you two…?"

"Together? Well, yeah." Dean looked at him funny. They began walking down the hallway, Dean saying greeting whoever spoke to him.

"I am glad you're fitting in here," Castiel said. "I've been here my whole life and…" He stopped suddenly, looking at the floor.

"And what? Have you never had a girlfriend?" Castiel suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable.

"I have had one. Her name was Daphne, but she moved away a few months after we started courting."

"No one since her?" Cas shook his head, continuing to stare at the floor. He cleared his throat.

"You and Lisa are nice together. I can see that you like her a lot." Dean grinned at him, throwing an arm around his shoulders.

"You got that right. We'll find you someone, Cas. I promise." He mumbled something, just quiet enough for Dean not to be able to hear. "What was that?"

"Nothing." The first bell rang, causing Castiel to jerk his head up. "Let's get to class." He started walking just ahead of Dean. He stared confused at the back of Castiel's head, his eyes grazing over the messy, almost-black hair. They made it in, and Castiel made a bee-line for the desk he has sat in since the beginning of the year. Dean perched at the edge of Lisa's desk, cracking jokes until Chuck walked in.

The rest of the period, Castiel rolled a pencil in his hands. Dean wasn't sure what the matter was, he just assumed that he Cas was touchy about Daphne.

I shouldn't have asked. Dean thought, twisting his lips into a scowl. He rested his head down in his arms, and for the rest of the period he felt eyes watching him.


	4. What's Next to the Moon

That day during lunch, Castiel sat on his own, tray of uneaten food sitting dejectedly in front of him. He poked at the brown mush that was supposed to pass off as Sloppy Joe with his plastic fork. He and Dean didn't have lunch together, which made the twenty minutes drag on. While people were friendlier with Castiel since Dean came into the picture, no one wanted to sit with the loner in a trench coat. He was okay with it. It gave him time to think, which often time he didn't, especially with Dean's loud presence in the majority of his classes.

Castiel might have his wanted silence soon, however. Dean had made an offhand comment earlier that day before they went to their separate classes. Apparently his father's job was transferring him elsewhere—Dean didn't say where—and they wouldn't be in town much longer. Castiel didn't expect to see them after Christmas break came and went, which was only in two weeks. It made him sad.

He had gotten to know the Winchester brothers well since they had moved here. Well, at least Dean. Sam was thirteen and still in middle school. Their father's job caused them to move around a lot, but Dean never explicitly said what his job was. Castiel never asked. Castiel inquired about their mother once, not too far back, and quickly learned that was a dead-man's zone. Dean had gotten all quiet, and glared at the floor for a moment. Castiel apologized, as a rule, but Dean had looked up a moment later and quietly said that she died in a house fire years ago and that was all there was to it.

In fact, Dean never talked about his past much at all. The more Castiel thought about it, the more he realized how little he actually knew about Dean and Sam. He started making a mental checklist in his head.

Okay, the Winchester brothers.

Their father has an unnamed job that forces him to be away from his children.

Their mother is dead in an unexplained house fire.

He struggled to think of more.

They move around a lot, seemingly with no pattern or warning that they're going to. Dean did say once that they had been pulled out of school one afternoon, not even aware that their father had been transferred.

Or what was the phrase Dean used? Returned home.

Before Castiel could sink further into his mental court case, the bell rang. He realized with a groan that hadn't eaten anything, not even the sealed pudding cup that the lunch ladies had no way of screwing up. Jabbing his fork into the sunken bun, he stood. After throwing his food away and frowning unhappily at the growl of protest from his stomach, he walked toward class. He saw the top of Deans head over the crowed, and changed his angle to he could greet him. They had the next class together, so why not walk together? It wasn't until he was almost in earshot when he realized Dean was deep in conversation with a very upset looking Lisa. A scowl was etched on her face, and Dean was holding his hands out in a "What-was-I-supposed-to-do" expression. Castiel averted his eyes, not wanting to invade a personal conversation. He walked straight ahead, not glancing at either of them as he strode past.

"…told you, baby. My dad had to use the car. I'm sorry!" He heard Dean say as he went by.

Oh. Castiel thought. She must be mad because he left her at the party. Well, it's not like he left her without a ride, did he? Someone jostled him, causing him to pause long enough to hear Lisa's response.

"Get a car of your own then," She huffed. Castiel's interest was piqued, and hopefully without Dean seeing he tucked himself behind a locker positioned so conveniently beside a classroom door and pretended to get something out of his bag.

"We can't afford it, I already told you that, Lisa." Castiel blinked. They can't afford it? One would think with such a demanding job they could afford even and older car. Maybe one not as old as the Impala, but still. He heard Lisa sigh, still frustrated but seeming to give up the fight.

"I know. I'm sorry. I don't know why your dad had to get groceries in the middle of the night." Castiel froze, his hand pausing from fake-searching. His mind flashed back to the night before. Dean had said that his dad needed the Impala for a job, not for grocery shopping. An ugly feeling pooled at the bottom of his stomach. Why would Dean lie about something like that? He bit his lip and shot out back into the hallway, not glancing back. He set off for the bathroom. The warning bell rang, but he ignored it.

"You're overreacting." Castiel said out loud, splashing water on his face. "It's just a little white lie." Maybe he wasn't even lying to me. Maybe he was lying to Lisa. Why would he do that, though? She's his girlfriend, right? She has to know about his father's work. Why are you so worked up about it anyway? You've been lied to before. It's never bothered you this much. The bell let out a shrill ring, and Castiel sighed. He was never late for class. Figuring one more minute wouldn't hurt, he dried his face off. His phone buzzed quietly in his pocket. After fishing it out, he saw Dean's name flashing up.

Where are you? You're not usually late for class.The message read.

Sorry, sloppy joes got to me. Castiel typed back quickly.

You're crazy, those were delicious!

Dean, you could eat an entire horse and still be hungry.

No lie about that.

Yeah, I know. He thought, flipping his phone closed. He made his way out the bathroom, glancing around the now deserted hallway. After he made it to his class room, he started toward the desk he shared with Dean, replying with a sheepish look as the teacher chastised him. Dean grinned up at him, poking him in the side gently when he sat.

"How are those sloppy joes working out for you?" Dean whispered, trying not to catch the attention of the lecturing adult at the front of the room.

"I'm fine," he responded. Dean just smirked, leaning back in his chair. Castiel rested his elbows on the table, avoiding Dean's gaze.

Jesus Christ, you're like an overprotective girlfriend who gets jealous easy. He tried to back his uneasiness at the fact Dean is his first true friend, even if his stay is temporary. No one likes being lied to. Or being the witness of a lie. He doesn't have any obligation other than being a good person to tell Lisa about Dean. Of course, would he risk their friendship?

No, he wouldn't.

By the end of the day, Dean's laughter and playful attitude lifted Castiel's spirits. He stood outside, Dean lounging against the wall beside him as students filed out of the building.

"You should come over." Castiel blurted out, surprising himself. Dean lifted an eyebrow.

"To Casa el Novak?"

"Yes."

"I don't know man, Sam is supposed to be meeting him here so we can walk home." Dean responded.

"Balthazar and I will give him a ride home." Castiel barely sensed Dean tensing beside him.

"No, that's fine. Uhm, I'll ask him when he gets here."

"Ask who what?" Sam walked up, glancing up at the older students around him.

"Are you cool getting a ride from someone else? Cas wants to go on a date." The younger brother blinked.

"It's not a date." Castiel defended. Dean rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I can get a ride from Jessica and her parents." Sam shrugged, a faint pink tint blushing across his cheeks. Dean laughed, reaching over and patting Sam on the shoulder.

"You get 'em, tiger." Sam just shoved him away, but it was playful.

A few minutes later after Dean made sure Sam was tucked safely away in the backseat of Jessica's parents car, Balthazar pulled up. Dean climbed in the back. Castiel decided, after a moments consideration, to sit in the passenger beside Balthazar. He just glanced over at his younger brother, and Castiel shrugged.

"Hello again, Dean." Balthazar looked in his rearview mirror at him, pulling away from the curb.

"Balthazar." Dean said curtly, attempting to sound civil. This time it was Castiel who rolled his eyes. It was a slightly awkward car ride, but Castiel prevailed. They pulled up to the white house, and the three of them climbed out.

"Mom and dad are okay with you being here?" Castiel said in a low voice when Balthazar led their way into the house. He saw Dean glance around, talking in his surroundings. Castiel thought their house was quite suitable for their needs. A nice chandelier hung over a large dining table in the front foyer. The stairs were to the left, winding up into the second floor. An archway led into the kitchen and the living room, and his parents' bedroom was tucked in their own wing off from the stairway. Castiel and Gabriel's room along with two guest bedrooms were upstairs.

"They're going to have to be," Balthazar replied, smiling over at the two boys.

"Nice house." Dean said under his breath, seeming kind of awestruck. Before Castiel could question it, his mother walked out of the kitchen, a towel in her hands. She was dressed in her usual gray suit. The style of the suits varied from day to day, but it was always the same gray color that looked dull against the gold décor and lining that was placed around the house.

"Castiel who do you—" Her eyes locked on Balthazar. "Well. This was unexpected."

"Mummy dearest!" Balthazar exclaimed, throwing his arms open wide and giving her a big hug. She paused for a moment before hugging him back.

"You ought to give us a warning before you come barging in. Tell one of us first."

"Cassie knew I was here." Balthazar retorted, releasing the woman from his grasp. Castiel huffed in response.

"Your father and I didn't." Their mother's eyes suddenly looked over at Dean and Castiel, both standing awkwardly beside each other. "Hello, we haven't met yet. I am Naomi, their mother." She reached one hand out, the other grasping the towel. Dean leaned forward and shook her hand, smiling politely.

"Dean." He said, nodding. She glanced down, eyes falling to a necklace hanging on Dean's neck. Her lips fell open slightly, and she raised narrowed eyes back to Dean's face.

"That's an interesting necklace you have there." Castiel frowned. What was so interesting about it? He had noticed it before—Dean was always wearing it. It was a simple gold face on a leather chain. "What did you say what your last name was again?"

"I didn't." Dean got defensive.

"Mother!" Castiel gasped, and out of the corner of his eye he could practically see Balthazar rubbing his hands in glee. Castiel rarely fought with his mother, and it was a sight to see. "We're going up to my room." He said, grabbing Dean's shoulder and pointing him towards the stairs. As they climbed their way to the top, Castiel heard his mother speak to Balthazar in hushed tones.

"You and I need to talk. Now."

"Where's dad? Shouldn't he be here for this?"

"He's…Out." Balthazar didn't respond. Castiel didn't wait around to see what happened next. Once they made it up to his room, his emotions changed from upset to self-conscious. This is the first time he has had someone in his room other than immediate family in years. It wasn't like Castiel was a complete pig. He wasn't. His room was impeccably clean. The few cds and movies he had were stacked in neat rows on a bookcase with the remaining shelves overflowing with books, with the exception of a small cd player resting on one. A king sized bed lay in the center, and a rarely used tv hung on the far wall. The walls were an off white color and the bed sheets a gentle blue. Castiel wrung his hands as Dean gazed around. His eyes fell on the cds and he strode over, his eyes scanning the titles.

"Aha!" Dean made a noise of approval. "That's what I'm talking about." With nimble fingers, he pulled one case out, grinning at the cover. It was the only rock album Castiel owned.

"AC/DC." Castiel couldn't help but smile back as Dean worked the cd into the disk player. A few seconds later, music started blasting from the speakers.

"Well I tied my baby to the railroad track Cannonball down the line…" Dean chuckled gleefully. There was a knock on the door, and both boys looked over in surprise.

"Mind keeping it down, chuckle-pants?" Castiel's other older brother was standing in the doorway, one eyebrow lifted. "Some of us are trying to sleep."

"Gabriel, it's four in the afternoon." Castiel said.

"You say that like I sleep normal hours…" He said, then looked over at Dean. "Gabriel Novak."

"Dean Winchester." Gabriel blinked, then smiled.

"I'll leave you two to it, then."

"Goodbye Gabriel." He left, the door shutting behind him. A moment later, Castiel heard faint footsteps on the stairs.

The rest of the night was spent uninterrupted. It was a long few hours spent with cards being thrown, AC/DC playing on repeat the entire time, windows being thrown open and lyrics yelled to the tops of the trees. One of Castiel's neighbors had come out during this, giving the two boys a strange look before retreating back inside.

An odd feeling had rested inside of Castiel during their time together. He wasn't sure what it was, but he sure as hell knew it wasn't a bad thing.

"No, no. Cas. You can only slap if it's a double." Dean exclaimed, attempting to teach Castiel the fifth card game that night. A gentle breeze was blowing through the still open window, and the sun had long since set in the cool winter air. The moonlight was illuminating Dean as he sat cross-legged in front of the window. More cards were placed down, and Castiel shot his hand out.

"See?" Dean said proudly. "You're getting it." Castiel felt giddy at the compliment. He looked up at Dean and they locked eyes for a moment before he glanced over at his phone lying beside him.

"I gotta go." Dean said, and Castiel felt his stomach sink. "I didn't realize it was this late, Sammy is probably wondering. Do you think Balthazar can still give me a ride?"

"I'm sure he can." Castiel responded.

That night, with the window shut tightly and the blinds closed, Castiel stared at the spot on the floor where he and Dean sat. The cards still lay there, all but forgotten. Closing his eyes, he rolled over in bed away from the window, and fell into a nightmare less sleep.


	5. Secret Agent Man

That next morning, Dean and Sam strolled along the sidewalk lazily on the way to school. Part of Dean hoped Castiel and his brother would come flying by again, another part hoped the opposite. He needed to talk to Sammy, and bad. Butts hung low in the sky, an ominous forecasting. Dean pulled his jacket closer to his body, shivering against the cold. Sam didn't seem to mind.

Dean opened his mouth, and then closed it. Something was off about Castiel's family. He understood why Cas acted to strange sometimes, the guys family was crazy. The way his moms eyes locked on his amulet like she knew what it was, and the strange look—what was his name? Gabriel?- gave him when he accidentally let his last name slip. Almost like he knew the name. Where he would have heard it, Dean didn't know. This is the first time they've hunted in this area. They always used aliases.

"I think we need to call dad," Dean said suddenly, looking up at the darkening sky. Sam peered at him strangely.

"He's on a hunt. You know he doesn't like to be bothered."

"It's not a hunt. He's looking for someone who might know something relating to the hunt."

"He's on a hunt, Dean." Dean scowled back at his younger brother.

"Anyway," he said, clearing his throat. "Something is off about Castiel's mother. His whole family, really."

"What makes you say that?"

"Okay, well. Yesterday when I went to his house—nice place, by the way—his mom started acting really weird, asking about the amulet you gave me and what my last name was." Dean picked the charm up with two fingers, gazing down at it. Sam shrugged.

"So? Maybe she was just curious."

"Yeah, my ass. I told one of his other brothers my full name and he just kind of… stared."

"How many brothers does Castiel have?"

"Four." Dean considered that for a moment. "No, three. I think I remember him saying he's got a sister somewhere."

"So there are five of them." It wasn't a question. "Names?"

"Castiel. Balthazar. Gabriel. Lucifer? Who names their kid after the devil? And I want to say is sisters name is Anne or Anna something like that." Dean could see Sam's brain running full speed and memorizing the names.

"Alright. I'll call Uncle Bobby during lunch and see what he can come up with." A familiar looking car zoomed by. "Hey, wasn't that Cas and his brother?"

"I think it was." Why didn't they stop? Sam didn't think on it too hard, but the first thing Dean did was dig out his phone.

I hate treating you like a taxi service, but do you always leave to innocent boys walking to school in freezing weather?

The reply came a minute later.

Sorry, my mother is in a hurry. I do not know what her problem is.

Your mom gave you a ride?

Yes.

Dean shook his head and kept walking. It was only a few more minutes and then they would be at the school. They walked the rest in silence, Dean chewing anxiously on the inside of his cheek. Both Winchester brothers knew that if Naomi knew about Dean's necklace, she had to be a hunter. Or worse, a monster herself.

John Winchester had spent months tracking down the necklace. He spent as much time and dedication into finding the delicate piece of jewelry as he did searching for the Colt, which was in turn used to kill Yellow Eyes.

Azazel. Dean remembered his name with clarity.

At first glance, the necklace did not seem like anything of importance. Just a gold face on a leather chain, always hanging around the young boy's neck. However, this necklace had magical properties. It provided protection against lower level demons, acting almost like the anti-possession symbols Dean and Sam had on them at all times. When the two of them turn eighteen they planned on getting the symbols tattooed on them, but until then they were stuck with wristbands and belts. Besides being a protective device and providing Dean with a nice memory every time he looked at it, it had one more property.

Legend has it that it glows hot in God's presence. Of course, despite how many times Dean has seen legend come to life right in front of his eyes, he knew it was pointless. Legend is going to stay simply that; speculation and false reports. God wasn't real. Sam believed. Castiel believed. His entire wackjob family believed. Dean didn't see any of it as truth, and was content with that. He feared the future and a small part of him even feared death, even though he knew he would gladly lay his life down to safe his family's.

They approached the school, and neither Castiel nor his brother were anywhere in site.

Later that day, after Dean tried drilling Castiel for information about his family—more specifically, his mother—he came up empty handed. His mom was a homebody and Castiel couldn't say much about what his father did. He acted the same way Dean did when he skirted around his father's career, but the difference was Castiel seemed truly clueless on his dad's life. That was never a good thing. He also couldn't answer why his mom was in Balthazar's car, only something about having to pick up groceries or something. Cas had given Dean a strange look when he said that, and it left Dean befuddled.

Dean was busy not paying attention in one of his classes, Castiel sitting beside him diligently taking enough notes for the entire class. His eyes cut to Dean, catching him staring. Dean's phone chose that moment to buzz. Castiel looked away. Sam's name flashed up on the screen. He excused himself to the bathroom, giving Castiel a nudge before he left. Once he made it, he checked under all of the stalls, satisfied when he didn't see any feet poking out.

Call me when you get this. The message read. Sam answered after 2 rings.

"What'd you find?" Dean asked, leaning against the sink.

"Okay, get this." Sam cleared his throat. "I called Uncle Bobby before I went into class and he said he'd do some research on Cas's family. He called around a few other hunters, and.."

"And what?"

"The Novak family comes from a long line of hunters." Dean blanched, straightening up.

"How many generations?"

"Bobby didn't say, but I don't think that matters. Hold on, someone's coming in." He heard the phone rustle on Sam's end, and a bit later a toilet flushed. "Sorry. Bobby said that the Novak's go back a long time, but it's just the seven of them."

"What are you talking about?"

"There are records of a Naomi and Michael Novak plus five children under the same names that you gave me from the 1950's, from the 1800's, from the 1700's and even farther back."

"How is that even possible?" Dean began pacing, trying to process everything Sam was telling him. "Are they immortal or something? Demons?"

"I doubt demons would be this sneaky about it. Bobby said he had to dig for hours to find anything about them. They're good at hiding."

"Why are they out in the open now? And why does Castiel seem so completely… I don't know, human?"

"I don't know." Sam sighed. "It's all very sketchy. They're named after specific angels, did you know that?"

Dean nodded before realizing Sam couldn't see him. "Yeah, Cas told me that his parents were freakily religious." Not his exact words, but it served the same.

"The angel Michael was an archangel according to Christian mythology. I couldn't find anything much on Naomi, just that the angel served as a sort of secretary for God. The angel Gabriel was also an archangel. He was a messenger of God and provided prophets with their knowledge." Something stirred in the put of Deans stomach as Sam got closer to Castiel's name. "Anna—or Anael—means Grace of God. He couldn't find much more on her, except that in the lore she is supposedly a male."

"I thought in lore dad used to tell us, angels were genderless or whatever?" He interrupted, stalling.

"Not sure. I ended up looking up the last three of them. Balthazar, well, I came up empty handed on him. Now, Lucifer—"

"Fallen angel, turned devil. What's more to know?"

"Dean, listen. 'Lucifer' means basically 'light-bringer' or 'morning star', and he was cast from heaven for loving his father, God, too much."

"That's interesting," Dean murmured, a memory resurfacing. Sam sounded confused.

"What?"

"Well, according to Cas, Lucifer, his brother, is only a few years older than him. And lives somewhere weird, like Kentucky or something. Come to think of it, I think only Cas and that Gabriel guy live at home still. I didn't see Anna there and his mom seemed… Surprised… to say the least when Balthazar showed up." He dragged one hand over his face, rubbing at the corners of his eyes. Letting out a breath, he braced himself. "Okay, that's—okay. What about Cas? What'd you dig up on his namesake or whatever?"

"Castiel, or Cassiel as the lore says, is an archangel. He's the angel of temperance."

"Jeez, how many freakin' archangels are out there?"

"I know, I know." Sam let out a huff.

"Alright, so what you're telling me is that either there is some really, really weird coincidences going on, or.."

"Or Castiel and his family are angels and we're screwed. Pretty much."

"Okay. So what's the game plan? We can't just—we can't just kill them. There's no way drilling Cassiel for information is going too—" The bathroom door swung open, and Dean's immediate reaction was to swing his arm down, hiding the phone from site. Castiel stood, looking at Dean with a confused expression on his face.

"Are you ok?" He jutted his thumb in the direction of the classroom Dean was supposed to be in. "She's getting annoyed and—are you on the phone?" Dean stared at him awkwardly for a moment, looking down the phone in his hand and around the bathroom.

"Uh, yeah. Sam, ah, Sam was having a rough time in one of his classes so he… yeah." Dean waved the phone up, laughing. "Tell her I'll be right out. Tell her, uh, sloppy joes." Dean grinned at him widely. Castiel's eyes widened, and he coughed, walking backwards.

"Alright, I'll just. I'll let her know." He sputtered, his back hitting the door. A barely noticeable red flush had tinted his cheeks. "I'll… okay." Castiel practically shoved himself out of the bathroom, the door swishing closed. Dean watched the door slowly stop moving, and for a second he forgot Sam was on the phone.

"Dean?" He heard faintly, and quickly lifted his cell back to his ear.

"I'm here."

"Oh-kay." Sam drawled out slowly, sounding like he was about to start laughing. "What are we going to do?"

"Here's the plan. I'm gonna go over to Cas's house tonight and try to find as much out about Naomi and this Michael guy as I can. I want you to call dad and fill him in, he's going to want to know about this." A sound of protest came from the other side.

"Dean, I—"

"Listen, I don't care what kind of beef you have with dad, okay? This is—this is Cas. He's like my best friend, man. We have to find out what's going on."

"I thought you hated getting close to people. We're 'blowing town soon', remember?"

"Yeah, I remember." Dean said, and ended the call.


	6. Knockin' on Heavens Door

Castiel stormed through the front door of his home, grumbling under his breath about a thousand different things. His mother had peeled out of the driveway the moment Castiel stepped foot out of the car, heading somewhere undisclosed. She was upset for some reason, yanking at her gray suit and giving him a pained look. He was angry, which was strange. He never got angry. He felt annoyance, he felt easiness, and he felt comfort. But he never felt angry. He never felt any emotion overly so, and when he did it never ended well. Castiel hated it when his family hid things from them, which they did with alarming regularity.

Making his way upstairs, he threw his bag into his room, ignoring the open doorway of Gabriel's. He wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, especially not his brother. Gabriel would respond with some snarky comment to whatever Castiel's issue was, give him a knowing, pity look, and leave it at that.

He sniffled, slowly going back down the stairs.

"You're such an idiot." He muttered, crossing into the kitchen. He had caught the tail end of Dean's conversation with his brother. Dean was hiding something, and Castiel knew it. Why was he so upset, though? Friends are allowed to have secrets. Friends are allowed to hide things. Granted, Castiel hasn't hidden anything from Dean, but that was beside the point. Maybe that was why he was so upset. Dean was so different from his family, so relaxed and comfortable. He was in a completely different spectrum in Castiel's mind than the rest of his family, which would explain why he felt so hurt at secrecy.

Grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator, he downed half of it. Dean's secrecy wasn't the only thing that Castiel was mad about. He was more mortified, actually. The scene flashed back into Castiel's head, and he groaned.

Dean was gone for five minutes when the teacher motioned for me to go check on him. He hadn't said why he was leaving, but I noticed him checking his phone before he got up and left. She was so anal about kids being gone from her class for too long on bathroom breaks. It was ridiculous, and it was always me that had to go check. Unless a girl was gone, of course.

I walked down the hall, heading straight for the nearest bathroom. A deep voice was speaking almost imperceptibly, and I knew it was Deans.

"-siel for information is going to—"Was all I heard when I pushed the door open, letting it shut behind me. Dean looked up at me, surprised, the phone falling from his ear. His face seemed to relax when he realized it was me, then tense up sheepishly.

"Are you okay?" I said before he could speak. I started pointing toward the classroom. "She's getting annoyed and—"I lost my train of thought. "Are you on the phone?" I finished stupidly. Dean looked down at his phone, then the floor, then the mirror.

"Uh, yeah. Sam, ah, Sam was having a rough time in one of his classes, so he…Yeah." I didn't believe him for a second. Or maybe I did. I wasn't sure. From what I have learned about Deans character is that he's always there for his brother, always wanting to help him in the worst of times. But something seemed off about the situation, like it often appeared to be when Dean was bending the truth. Dean laughed his tension off, waving the phone up in his hand. "Tell her I'll be right out. Tell her, uh, sloppy joes." That's when Dean smiled widely, showing off a pearly white smile to me that I wished I could stare at for the rest of my life. A little noise forced its way out of my throat and I coughed to cover it up, slowly stepping backwards to leave.

"Alright. I'll just, I'll let her know." I managed to choke out, feeling horrified when my back hit the door. My stomach seemed to drop to the floor. "I'll… Okay." I gripped the handle and practically launched myself out of the bathroom, and I felt my face reddening.

What the hell was that? I thought to myself, momentarily forgetting Dean's weird conversation. Shaking myself off, I quickly walked back to the classroom, hoping that my face would return back to its normal color before Dean came back. When I walked into the class, the teacher looked at me expectantly, and I simply said "He's sick," before slumping into my seat. I heard someone snicker from across the room, and buried my face in my hands. Dean didn't show back up for class, and I couldn't find him in the hallways. I considered asking Lisa, but what were the chances of her knowing exactly where he went?

Castiel's memory was interrupted with his father walking into the room, wearing a dark blue button up and slacks. He straightened up, twisting the cap back on the half-empty water bottle and setting it on the table.

"Father," Castiel exclaimed. "I didn't expect you back for another week. How was the trip?"

"It went fine." He said, observing his son with a strange curiosity.

"Balthazar is in town." Castiel clasped his hands, wondering why his father was acting so weird. Granted, his father was always an off man, even to Castiel. Very secretive and quiet, always having intense conversations with each of his siblings, except for him. Castiel's relationship with him was strained from the beginning, and they were the source of the majority of tension in the house. At least, after Lucifer skipped down.

"I am aware. I can't say it's the most pleasant surprise that I've been graced with in my lifetime, but."

"But what?"

"It's probably beneficial that he's here." His father walked calmly to a chair, sliding gracefully into the seat. Castiel opened his mouth to ask, but his father kept talking. "Your mother told me you made a friend."

"Yes. His name his Dean."

"So I hear." He cleared his throat. "What do you know about him?"

"What?"

"What do you know about him, Castiel?" He bristled, looking at his dad. When he didn't respond, his father sighed, looking Castiel in the eyes. "You are to stay away from Dean Winchester."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, Castiel; you are to stay away from the Winchesters. Do you understand? They are dangerous and a risk to our family." Michaels voice began to rise, and for a moment Castiel backed off, not used to hearing the anger in his tone.

"You don't even know him, father. Why are you passing judgment?"

"Because I can." He snapped, rising to his feet. There was a knock on the door, and Castiel heard a familiar voice filter through the wall. He and his father locked eyes, and what happened next was straight out of a bad comedy. They both shot out from where they were standing, practically running to get to the door first. Michael was fast, but Castiel was closer. He flew the door open, and was greeted with Dean standing there with his phone up to his ear. He must have seen the look on Castiel's face, because he froze, glancing over Castiel's shoulder.

"I'm gonna have to call you back," Dean said, ending the call. "Hey, Cas."

"Dean." He replied breathlessly. "What are you-"

"So you're Dean Winchester." His father said behind him, putting one hand on Castiel's shoulder almost protectively. Dean observed him, glancing between Castiel and his father.

"And you are? No, no, wait. Let me guess. Michael, right?" Dean pointed a finger casually, swinging his arms by his side. "Oh, boy. Have I wanted to meet you."

"Dean, what is going on?" Castiel said seriously, his fingertips gripping on to his tan coat.

"Castiel, I want you to go upstairs to your brother." He spun to look at his father, and he could feel Dean tensing behind him.

"No, father, I want you to tell me what the hell is going on!"

"Just wait for your mother to get home, and we will explain everything." Michael's eyes looked at Dean. "Alone. Just calm down."

"Me calm down? I'm not the one trying to force the only friend my son has made out of his life!" Something flared in Michaels eyes. He took a deep, deep breath, visibly attempting to hold back whatever instinct told him to do.

"Listen, child." His grip on Castiel's shoulder tightened, and he flinched. "He is not your friend; this is for your own good."

"Whoa, hey, standing right here, dude." Dean replied cockily, but when Castiel turned to look at him he was stone faced, squinting at the two of them. "What did I ever do to you?"

"It's not about what you did, Dean. It's about what you are going to do."

The sound of an engine snapped the three men out of their bubble, and they all looked toward the drive way. His brother's car pulled up, Naomi and Balthazar piling out.

"Oh, crap." Dean said under his breath. Castiel felt his hands shaking, confusing thoughts muddling his mind and making it hard to focus. Everything was moving so fast. What was everything, though? What is this? Why are his parents looking like Dean as if he is Hell incarnated?

"You again," Balthazar smiled, clapping his hands together once.

"Can someone please tell me what is going on!" Castiel shouted, glancing angrily at his family. Dean's face took on a weird expression, and his lips parted.

"You're clueless." It wasn't a question. Castiel squinted at him, his face incredulous. "Huh." Dean turned back toward Naomi, opening his mouth to speak again when Balthazar's arm shot out, water sloshing out of a bottle and all over Dean. Castiel's mouth fell open, and Dean just stood there, blinking. Spitting water out of his mouth, annoyance crossed over his features. "Holy water? Really?"

"Can't blame me for trying." Balthazar said shamelessly.

"Oh, you son of a bitch." Dean's hand came up and swiped the water off his face, flinging his hand toward the ground. "Okay, why don't we go inside and discuss this like adults. Alright?" His arms came open as if it was an invitation to try anything else. Castiel was still staring freely at the now soaking Dean and how unsurprised he seemed to have just been sprayed in the face by Castiel's older brother. Like it happens all the time. Dean just raised his eyebrows expectantly, arms held away from his body.

Michael was the first to move, his eyes burning holes into Naomi's. He spun on his heel, hands balled into fists. Dean followed, throwing an arm around Castiel's shoulders.

"Look on the bright side, Cas." Dean led him into the house, and Castiel could tell he was attempting to cover the tension in his voice. "Sam and I ain't going anywhere for a long time." From the way Dean said it, it didn't necessarily sound like a good thing. Castiel's sprits dropped even more, and he felt like that Deans presence was going to cause a whole lot more trouble.

Ten minutes later, they all sat around the Novak's dining table. Dean's boot was tapping nervously on the floor. Gabriel had made his way downstairs and was having a hushed but heated conversation with Castiel's parents in the kitchen. Balthazar just sat at the head of the table, glancing between Dean and Cas like they were a science experiment he had all day to work on.

"Just because he's Castiel's, doesn't mean Castiel is his!" Naomi hissed, and the two mentioned boys just stared at each other in curiosity. What was that supposed to mean? Dean wondered. He pulled at his shirt, trying to unstick the wetness from his chest. Balthazar saw what Dean was doing and shrugged with complete innocence.

"…all possibilities." Dean caught Gabriel saying, but for the rest of the conversation they were more subtle in what they were saying. Michael seemed to be ready to end the discussion, looking at his son and wife with certain finality. Dean could see his lips moving, but he wasn't a lip reader and it helped him none. Suddenly, Dean noted that other than the same dark hair, Cas and his dad looked nothing alike. Come to think of it, none of the Novak's looked related. Gabriel had light colored hair, and Balthazars was a dirty blond. Dean didn't know what Anna or Lucifer looked like.

Michael finished his speech, and Gabriel threw his hands up in frustration. Naomi's lips were pursed, but she seemed more at ease with what he said than Gabriel was. Dean could see Castiel wringing his hands together under the table. He reached over and grabbed one of them, squeezing it assuredly. He had no doubt the Novak family was hiding something big, but he knew Castiel wasn't going to be a part of the issue.

Unless he was an angel pretending to be human for whatever reason. Castiel's actions seemed too genuine, however.

"Maybe we should bring Luci down, see what he has to say." Balthazar called, looking lazily over at his family. "Or maybe even Anna. Because it worked out so well for them finding out the truth." Michael and Naomi simultaneously shot him a dark look. Gabriel's shoulders slumped.

"Okay, I did not walk all the way over here just to run around in circles," Dean spoke. "I have questions that I hope to God you have answers for." Realizing the irony in what he just said, he resisted a smirk. He could feel Castiel giving him a weird stare.

"Let's get started then." Gabriel waltzed over to the table, sitting by Castiel at the opposite end of Balthazar. Naomi and Michael sat in front of Dean and Cas, looking at each other wearily.

"There are things we haven't told you, Castiel." Michael spoke. Cas nodded, and Dean folded his hands in front of him expectantly. "About us, about our family. About why Lucifer and Anna decided to leave. We aren't going to discuss everything with you today." Dean saw Castiel open is mouth in protest, but Michael held one hand up. "I understand you're frustrated, but trust us. It's best you don't take all of this in at once."

Dean braced himself, his eyes shifting from each of the Novak's to the other. Naomi and Michael were sharing identical expressions. Balthazar looked amused, but Dean could tell it was a ruse. Gabriel was relaxed in his seat, but his eyes were locked on Castiel's face. He finally landed on Castiel. His hair was a mess from his hands running through them in anticipation, his eyes shining. Dean realized how blue they actually were, much lighter and much bluer than Dean remembered them being when they first met.

"You've been deceived, Castiel." Michael continued, speaking slowly and calmly. "It was for your own good, for Lucifer and Anna's own good, too." He cleared his throat, blinking a few times before continuing. "We aren't your parents, Castiel." Cas sucked in a little gasp of air, and Dean suddenly felt like he was in the middle of a very intense and personal episode of Dr. Phil.

"But we are your brothers." Gabriel said, motioning to Balthazar. "As is Lucifer, and Anna your sister."

"I don't understand." Castiel said tiredly.

"We put on a ruse. Wiped your memories. We aged ourselves and continued to uproot ourselves to keep the five of you safe. After decades and decades it gets tiring, but we prevail. Eventually we realized that Balthazar and Gabriel's minds were too strong for our blocks to hold out, and every generation their memories come back without our help. Eventually we just stopped holding them back, and had them help us strengthen the blocks on you and your brother and sisters minds." Michael sighed. "Anna left because she—" He stopped himself, Naomi looking ready to jump in at any moment. "Anna left. Her memories resurfaced, and she was upset to say the least. Lucifer, it turns out, remembered every time. Our blocks never worked on him at all, but that wasn't surprising. Considering…"

"Considering what?" Castiel's voice was shaking, and Dean was just as clueless as he was.

"That's a story for a different time." Naomi said gently.

"I don't get anything you are telling me." Castiel said, his palms now pressing flat on the table. "Generations—mind wiping—what are you talking about?"

"We are Angels, Castiel." Gabriel blurted, seemingly fed up with the whole situation. "Long story made short, we are angels. Michael and Naomi aren't your parents; they're your brother and sister. Just like us." He looked over at them warily. He began picking his words carefully, obviously trying not to let something slip. "For your own safety, for the past thousands of years we have been keeping you from remembering your roots."

"But.. why?" Dean spoke up, laying a reassuring hand on Castiel's shoulder. "Why do you deserve to know and he doesn't?"

"Because we have been searching for someone. We knew him before we manifested on earth, you child." Naomi snapped. Dean bristled. "We are protecting him by doing this. We were protecting him, until you came along."

"That wasn't necessarily a bad thing, though." Balthazar interjected.

"And why is that?" Dean leaned back in his seat. Castiel's face was pale, and he looked ready to hurl.

"You have something we need." Michael gave him a pointed look. "At first we weren't sure whether it was actually it or not, but once we uncovered your name and verified your identity; we knew."

"I have something you need? Really? What's that?" Dean's eyes narrowed at the mention of his father.

"Your necklace." Dean's hand shot up, gripping the amulet protectively. "We, of course, can't just take it from you, it doesn't work that way. It's tied to you now, and they only way for us to get it is if you give it to us."

"My necklace? Why do you need my necklace?" He said stupidly.

"Because," Gabriel said. "We're trying to find God. "


End file.
